


Memory Lane

by fuwafuwagem



Category: Mystic Messenger (Video Game)
Genre: Fluff, Gen, adventures with jihyun, written before I played his after ending
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-31
Updated: 2019-12-31
Packaged: 2021-02-27 15:08:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,484
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22049137
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fuwafuwagem/pseuds/fuwafuwagem
Summary: This is my completed work for the Jihyun fanzine, Compass. It was a pleasure to work on.
Relationships: V | Kim Jihyun & Main Character
Kudos: 13





	Memory Lane

**Author's Note:**

> This is my completed work for the Jihyun fanzine, Compass. It was a pleasure to work on.

The train had standing room only. The carriage swayed as it rounded a curve in the track, and Jihyun held tight to the back of the seats on either side of him. He glanced at all of the faces around him, mouths turned down at the corners of each one. A tunnel plunged him into darkness and he saw his _own_ face reflected in the window; his _own_ mouth also turned down at the corners. It was not a simple resting face, but a deep and deliberate frown. He was joyless, going through the motions, no longer the man he had been when he had first set off on this grand adventure of self-discovery and love.

_ When did I become this way? _

The train emerged once more into sunlight and came to a stop soon after. Jihyun was swept out of the carriage in a sea of warm bodies, his first steps onto the station platform a stumble; the world seemed to be in a rush as he stood motionless.

Jihyun pulled his coat around himself a little tighter and followed a stream of people until they became a river, splitting as the flow came to a city centre. He slowed his pace as he left the crowd, and with no constant stream of people to guide path, he looked around, searching for one of his own. His attention was caught by the sound of raised voices, and curiosity got the better of him.

A couple stood outside a small shop, a hand-painted sign declaring that it was ‘Pet Corner; family run since 1998’. Jihyun had to squint to see that the store window was filled tiny kittens, their eyes wide as they stared up nervously at the disgruntled pairing standing on the other side of the glass.

“We’re not getting a kitten and that’s that!” The woman shook her head. “They may be cute, but neither of us has the time for that kind of responsibility. Sorry, but it’s not going to happen.”

The couple walked away from the shop front, and Jihyun moved to where they had stood, peering down at the cowering kitties. They were so small, but their fur made them look like clouds with feet. He was reminded of Elizabeth the 3rd.

Jumin had given a similar argument as the woman Jihyun had seen, stating that he simply didn’t have time to care for a pet. Although it had been Rika’s insistence, Jihyun had also pushed his friend into keeping the feline. It was almost as if he had known he would have to leave his friend behind, the cat being the one final thread that would connect them. He missed Jumin, and though he was glad his childhood friend had a companion, he still longed for the days when they had each other; Jumin Han and Jihyun Kim. What a duo they had been, and would hopefully be again.

With a wistful smile on his lips and an awkward wave at the kittens, Jihyun walked on, a small gurgle of his stomach insisting that his next stop be for food. He had no idea where he was going, so he followed the direction the couple had taken.

It was with both joy and trepidation that he found them again, sitting at a table outside a café.

“I just wanted a normal coffee. Why does everything have to be a skinny-macchi-whatever-latte-chino?” the man complained.

Jihyun stifled a laugh as he went inside. Jaehee would no doubt have had something to say. She had a passion for good coffee, which he had discovered when she had brought coffee for him and Jumin one day. What a fool he had been to even suggest she bring a simple, flat white from the coffee machine. She’d lectured him for a full ten minutes on the merits of coffee brewed straight from the bean, rather than the instant kind. Her passion had even stirred Jumin into researching coffee instead of cat business for a change.

Jihyun ordered a beverage and a sandwich, then sat at an indoor table, away from the griping couple. The woman beside him rocked two babies in her arms, and Jihyun couldn’t help but take a peek at them. Two sets of blue eyes peered back; their tiny, wrinkled hands clasped together.

“Twins?” Jihyun gasped, more to himself than to the mother, but she looked at him with a strained smile and nodded.

“Identical boys,” she said, sighing at the mug on the table before her. “All they want to do is cry when I put them down, so that’s another coffee I’ll have to drink cold.”

“Can I… Can I help?” Jihyun asked nervously. “I can hold them until you finish your drink.”

The mother looked at him as though he had just sprouted wings and a halo. “Thank you! Thank you so much! You have no idea how much I need this caffeine in my system.”

They laughed as the twins were handed over, and the mother gulped down her drink as Jihyun held the boys close to his chest. Two brothers; tiny and innocent. He thought of Saeyoung and Saeran. How different their lives would have been if they had been raised with the love and care these twins were being brought up with.

“Thank you.” The woman smiled as her babies were returned to her. “I love them both so much, but it’s nice to have a coffee that’s still warm occasionally. Thanks again.”

After saying goodbye to the mother and her children, Jihyun finished his lunch and headed out once more. Still feeling somewhat directionless, he headed back towards the main high-street, hoping not to get swept up in the crowd again. Noticing the couple that he appeared to be following, he made his way over to see what they were looking at.

“No, chocolate is terrible for my skin. I’ll have a break-out!”

The shop they’d stopped in front of was a small chocolatier, its window filled with delicious looking treats. Jihyun felt somewhat awestruck at the way the chocolate had been carefully displayed to draw the eye. Each colour and shape had been chosen and placed together in the same way an artist would choose their paints.

“But they look so good! Just a small treat won’t hurt.”

“You’ll regret it when you have to work harder to keep your skin clear. Even the smallest treat can make you look puffy!”

Jihyun watched them walk away as he peered in the window, his hand covering his grin as an image of Hyun and Yoosung popped into his head. He had missed them and their banter, but more than that, he missed the familial bond between them - between all the members of the RFA. It made him feel good to know that even if he was no longer there, they would always have each other.

But just that thought made his heart ache. He had once believed that the RFA would be better off without him, but now, more than ever, he wanted to be back at the heart of his found family. He entered the chocolate shop and bought a small packet of chocolate for each member of the RFA before returning to the street.

Finally forming his own path in his mind, Jihyun walked through crowds like a fish swimming upstream, fighting the current to get to where he knew he needed to be. Every step he took now was a purposeful stride. He did not give in until he finally boarded the train.

The train was once again standing room only, and he held onto the back of the seats as the other commuters packed in like sardines. He was surprised to see the couple he had shared a path with seated a little further forward, the woman resting her head in the crook of her partner's shoulder, his arm draped protectively around her.

Jihyun’s heart fluttered as he recalled the woman who had wrapped her arms around him when no one else ever had; who had torn down the defensive walls he had spent years building around himself, and who had shown him that he was worthy of being loved, and of loving.

This couple had shown him that no matter what, no matter how many flaws they may have, or what they may disagree over, love would bring them back together.

Jihyun thought of MC. She had seen him at his worst; at his weakest and most vulnerable. She had waited for him for two years. He didn’t want to keep her waiting for a second longer.

He glanced at the faces all around him, mouths still turned down at the corners of each one, but when he saw his own face reflected in the window, all he could do was smile. He was no longer searching aimlessly. His journey was over.

Jihyun Kim was going home.


End file.
